Peter H:

Got your attention didn’t I? Thems are fightin words. It’s all opinion anyway isn’t it?

I’ve been listening to these recordings, trying once again to figure out what everyone sees/saw in this band. All I can find is white boy guitar wanking and strangled cat screeching.

If Jimmy Page played as off key and out of control as Robert Pants sang, you would not be listening to this band. Ever. So that’s a good thing right? Page is often in tune. And he can play really fast. That’s got to be good too, right? Playing fast can cover up a lack of imagination. Same with loud. The louder they play, the less you can really hear so that the part where Jones stops playing bass because the drummer, guitarist and singer all seem to be doing different songs just sort of sneaks by.

<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->

Yes but they redefined rock and roll. For the worse. Just because dozens of bands copied the self-indulgent and painful vocals doesn’t mean they were a positive influence. Take a stopwatch to any of these tracks and see how long Plant can go before he goes out of control or pitch. It took 20 years for rock vocals to recover from the damage Plant caused. Singing matters. 

And then they just stop. We are so cool that we’re going to pause for a few minutes so we can show off. Step out and buy a tee shirt if you want. Write a post card home. “Having a wonderful time, wish I could hear.”

I hope the light show was good because the emperor had no clothes.

I was under the impression that this forum was for discussing the music of the live bands not for Billy Nomates to dabble in some rather pathetic attention seeking...

Peter: do you find just Led Zeppelin's lengthy instrumental jams and medleys offensive or do you also include Blind Faith, Cream, Deep Purple, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd just to name the ones to come instantly to mind?  Sometimes improv works and sometimes it doesn't.  Music was exciting, interesting and unpredicatable, if self-indulgent, especially to the modern listener.  The concert goer never quite knew what to expect.

I suggest you stop listening to music you don't like and don't understand.  Perhaps you prefer something bland, modern and with a video of attractive women in risqué clothing in a vain but ultimately futile attempt to make the music interesting.

As for the "emperor's clothes", Led Zeppelin is probably the most underhyped band in the world.  This band was successful because it was good, because people wanted to see them live, wanted pay too much money for bootlegs, wanted to camp in a muddy field to experience an "Evening with Led Zeppelin".  If you don't like it get over it!  The music industry is the way it is today more due to the impact of Led Zeppelin than any other band, including the Beatles.

Kev